06/12/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2025 12:50
Twenty-year old Drew Auslander "always liked to spend time outside." That's one of the main reasons he's spending his summer as a GFC Forestry intern. Drew was born and reared in Athens, Ga., and is now a rising senior at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. With guidance from GFC Staff Forester/ Dixon Memorial State Forest Manager Matt Mrizek, Drew is now immersed in the wonders of Georgia's forests. He's carrying out a variety of tasks, including timber cruising, boundary marking, and invasive species control.
Martin Suggs is from Hollingsworth, Ga., and is a rising sophomore at ABAC (Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College) in Tifton. As a lifelong hunter and outdoor enthusiast, he said he's excited about his GFC internship and has been "looking for an opportunity like this for a long time." Martin began his internship in May and is also working alongside GFC's Matt Mrizek. The 20-year old student said he's really enjoying being outside every day and seeing all the different plants and species Georgia's forests have to offer.
John "JT" Crawford is GFC Region 5's summer intern. JT is a native Georgian whose family has been around forestry and the outdoors for as long as he can remember. He said while he originally thought he'd pursue a math-based education, his father's employment in sawmills may have opened his eyes to other possibilities. He always enjoyed nature, hunting, and fishing, and is now a rising junior in the Forestry school at ABAC. "Being out in the woods" as an intern is what he likes best, so far, about working with GFC.
One of Hannah Mobley's favorite activities growing up was going on hikes with her family and their dog. The outings nurtured her love of the outdoors. Corresponding school subjects, such as hydroponics at Brookwood High School near her home in Snellville, stoked the fire. Now a rising senior at the University of Georgia, Hannah is pursuing a degree in Natural Resource Management, with an emphasis on urban forestry. Her summer internship is with GFC's Urban & Community Forestry program. So far she's been working on various projects, including a tree inventory for Thunderbolt and community outreach focused on pruning.
The fact that Trypp Lumpkin is pursuing a career in the great outdoors comes as no surprise to folks at the Georgia Forestry Commission. The 22-year old rising senior at ABAC is the son of longtime GFC employee RT Lumpkin. Trypp grew up hunting and fishing, and for as long as he can remember has "loved being outside." He plays baseball for ABAC and is the student who has played longest for the team, since it went from a two-to-four-year program during his tenure. He said a highlight of his internship with GFC's Region 3 so far has been the surprise discovery of ghost snails in a longleaf pine tract. He's enjoying working with the landowner to solve the issue!